


Before/After

by pugoata



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bumbleby - Freeform, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-28 17:35:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17791778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pugoata/pseuds/pugoata
Summary: From the very beginning, Blake felt drawn to Yang. This two-parter will show their before... and their after. Bees all the way!





	1. Before

“That ceremony was way too long,” Ruby complained, swinging from Yang’s arm. “Why does everything have to be so _long_?” Weiss was walking ahead of them, looking for their dorm number. It seemed to Blake that Ruby was actively avoiding her new partner. The two hadn’t exchanged a word since the ceremony. 

But who was Blake to talk?

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk with Yang. She would have loved a quiet moment to get to know her new partner, maybe even make up for last night. Yang’s determined friendliness that night had caught Blake off guard. It ended up being the reason she had felt drawn to her. Going after her that day in the forest had been impulsive, something completely out of character for Blake. Her own light had simply been drawn to Yang’s. 

“That’s just the way schools are, Ruby,” Yang said with a laugh.

“Not at Signal!”

“Signal isn’t like Beacon. It isn’t as--”

“Found it.” Weiss didn’t even turn to her teammates before opening the door. The heiress was another obstacle. Blake couldn’t see how their team could succeed with someone like her. Even though Blake was keeping her heritage a secret, there was bound to be tension. How could there be trust when Weiss was heiress to the empire that had done so much wrong to her people?

She forced herself to let the thought go. Blake would take what came, just as she’d always done. Adaptability was her strength. She could push through.

Yet she couldn’t even bring herself to interrupt Ruby and Yang, she thought glumly.

In the forest, she hadn’t betrayed her shock when Yang’s scarlet eyes had met her own. The soft friendliness the lilac ones had offered her the night before were gone. Had she made a mistake in seeking Yang out? But the red switched back almost immediately. It had reassured her, but had instilled in Blake the wariness she should have had this whole time. Everyone had their secrets, a nasty voice whispered in her head. Who could say if Yang wasn’t hiding a bit of Adam in her?

Getting to know her could help her look into Yang’s true nature, Blake knew. If only she could talk to her! God, how she hated initiating conversations with strangers.

Ruby threw herself onto one of the beds. “I’m tired,” she announced into her pillow. The words came out muffled and Blake saw Weiss roll her eyes. 

“We did do a lot today,” Yang commented. Her eyes met Blake’s and she winked. Blake felt the heat grow in her cheeks and she looked away. “I don’t blame you for taking a nap, Ruby.”

“I think we did earn this afternoon off,” Weiss agreed. She sat down on another bed daintily. “We can always put our things away tonight, or tomorrow.”

Blake wasn’t sure if the others caught the hint at authority in Weiss’ tone. Blake absently looked at Yang, then slowly arched one of her dark eyebrows when they made eye contact. Yang’s responsive grin was a wide one.

The ease of their body language came as a relief to Blake. She didn’t realize how natural it could feel, to communicate so clearly and silently with someone. She’d never had much occasion to do so in the past. In the White Fang, there were lots of signals when they were trying to sneak around, but it was nothing like this. This was less rehearsed, more genuine. It left Blake with an odd tickle in her stomach.

“I think I’m going to go for a little hike,” Yang said. She looked at Blake. “Oh, and I’m taking you with me, Blake.”

“Oh?” She regarded Yang curiously. “What if I don’t want to hike?”

Yang didn’t look put off when she shrugged. “Then we’ll find something else to do. You’re my partner, right? My life is pretty much going to be in your hands for the next four years! So I’d like to get to know you a little.”

Blake allowed a small smile. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. Hiking is fine.”

They both looked at Weiss, who stared down at Ruby’s now-sleeping figure with what seemed to be a look of malevolence. Blake almost laughed at Yang’s comical grimace.

“You, uh… going to be all right, Ice Queen?” she asked. Weiss’ head shot up, her fierce look transferred to Yang.

“ _Don’t_ call me that,” she stated, her voice even, but cold. Yang gave an emphatic shiver and Blake’s body shook with suppressed laughter. “I’m going to the library.”

They watched as she grabbed a bookbag and stalked out the door. Yang shook her head, her thick golden mane bouncing. “I don’t know how she can be like that,” she commented.

“It must be difficult to live with your family’s reputation preceding you everywhere,” Blake replied. She felt like she was giving Weiss way too much credit, but she didn’t want to talk about the Schnees with Yang. Not yet, anyway, if ever.

When they got back out into the hall, Yang threaded one of her arms through Blake’s. “Dad says there’s a pretty cool trail along the cliffs. There’s a little spring at the end where he used to go swimming.”

“Are we swimming, too?” Just the thought made Blake uncomfortable. She wasn’t afraid of water. She just didn’t like it.

“It’s cold.” Yang made a face. “The water comes down from the mountains. It’s snowmelt.”

“I see.”

Despite her desire to talk to Yang, her proximity distracted Blake. Yang’s smell-- floral, yet smoky-- was overpowering to Blake’s sensitive nose. It wasn’t a bad smell at all, but she was confused and alarmed by her enjoyment of it. She wasn’t used to such carefree touch, either. Adam had made it very clear how he felt about any touch that wasn’t his own.

Abruptly, she pulled her arm away from Yang. She folded her arms across her chest and Yang gave her a puzzled look. Though they kept walking and Blake didn’t look at her, she could feel Yang’s eyes on her.

They were silent until they stepped off the campus’ elegant walkways and towards the woods. Blake knew she had made a mistake, but had no idea what to say to fix it. She could feel her cat ears twitching violently against her bow. She wanted to put a hand to them to try calming them down, but she didn’t want to risk it with Yang so close. 

“See? There it is,” Yang announced, pointing to a large path in the trees.

The path narrowed after about a half-mile. Yang had insisted on attempting smalltalk, which had Blake cringing. She hated smalltalk of any kind. She knew very well that she could fix the smalltalk problem by opening up a little more, but she was suddenly nervous about being alone with Yang. The narrowing path pushed the two closer, meaning Blake would have to interact with her more closely. She stolidly put up her walls.

“Are you from Vale?” Yang asked. Blake shook her head. She could sense Yang’s frustration. “C’mon, Blake. We need to get to know each other somehow. Silence won’t get us anywhere. As partners, we need to learn to trust each other, and we can’t do that unless we know each other.”

“I’m not used to talking so much with anyone,” Blake told her, hating the blush that was creeping onto her skin.

“So let me guide you!” Yang turned a bright smile on her. “I’m a professional talker. You’ll pick it up in no time.”

Yang’s smile was contagious. Blake couldn’t stop a small one of her own.

“So, let’s try again, Blake!” It was that determined kindness again, she realized as Yang forced her arm to link with her own. “Where are you from?”

“South of here. A little island.” Well, it wasn’t _completely_ a lie. She couldn’t afford to tell Yang she was from Menagerie. “I moved around a lot, though.”

“I’m from a little island, too!” Yang beamed. “Not too far from here, actually. My dad teaches at Signal. What do your parents do?”

“Politics,” she replied with a dismissive shrug. To keep Yang from probing further, she added, “Ruby’s your younger sister? Why is she at Beacon, then?”

“I got held back a few years,” she teased. Her laugh was a lovely sound. “No, don’t worry. Ruby skipped ahead a couple years. One of the professors here saw her fighting and invited her to enroll right away.”

“She is good,” Blake agreed. “Do you think she’ll be a good leader?”

“She won’t have a choice. She’ll have to be.”

They were silent again, and this time, Blake didn’t pull away. There was Yang’s dizzying aroma again. She couldn’t explain why she loved that smell, nor her partner’s warm presence. The balance between herself and Yang, she also realized, was something new. It was so unfamiliar, but welcome. She never had this sense of balance when she was with Adam. Being near him had always made her unsure of herself and constantly on edge. It was the opposite with Yang, even in this short amount of time.

That was more intoxicating than Yang’s smell ever could be.

“You smell like cinnamon,” Yang suddenly said. Blake’s eyebrows went up, amazed how they could be thinking about the same thing practically at the same time. “I’ve been trying to work that out. Like, I smell the cinnamon… and something different. I can’t figure it out.”

“Good?” Blake asked, amused. “Or should I put more deodorant on?”

Yang snorted. “It’s a good smell! It’s just very unique.”

Blake would have said the same thing about Yang’s own.

“I don’t think it’s cinnamon,” Blake corrected her. “I bet it’s chai. I drink a lot of chai tea.”

“I’m a coffee girl, myself,” Yang remarked. “But you’re a tea person. Got it.”

Another amiable silence followed as they walked on. The trees were thick, but Blake could occasionally see the open sky peek out where the cliffs were. It was nice to just enjoy the beauty of nature without worrying about stealth. Blake gave a contented sigh.

“Ohhh, look at that, Blake!” Yang pointed through the trees. The trees there were much thinner here. Without warning, she let go of Blake and ran to the cliffside. 

For a crazy moment, she could almost see Yang swan dive off the ledge in her mind’s eye. It was much too high for that, but there had been a wild look in her eyes that _almost_ scared Blake. Yang raised her fists in the air triumphantly as she stood at the edge.

“It’s so weird to finally be here,” she announced with a laugh, lowering her arms. She stared out over the edge, where the sky was beginning to show its first hint of pink. “All my life, I’ve dreamed of coming here. And now I’m here.” She paused. “With you.”

The sun was glinting off of Yang’s golden locks. She looked over her shoulder at Blake. For a moment, Blake was sure she’d be struck down by the feeling of intense connection to this young woman. Yang looked like a goddess, standing there like that. Their eyes locked, and Blake realized that Yang’s had widened. It made Blake’s heart catch in her throat and her hand flew unbidden to her mouth. Did Yang sense this connection, too?

Though it was only a couple minutes, it felt like an eternity. Blake felt as though there was some desperate revelation sitting just out of reach, but it was incomprehensible. Yang’s eyes were staring at her as though she were a rare jewel. And unlike Adam, who saw that jewel as a possession to be kept close to his chest, Yang looked at her with awestruck reverence. There was a safe sort of love in that gaze.

Overwhelmed, Blake staggered back, blinking her eyes hard to clear her mind again. She could see Yang in her periphery, shaking her head violently. 

“Sorry!” Yang gasped. “I don’t… I don’t know what happened there. You were just looking so…” She shook her head, unable to come up with a word.

“It’s okay.” Blake’s laugh was nervous and a little too high-pitched. “Maybe there was something in the air? Maybe fumes from Vale?”

“Right. That sounds right.” Yang nodded slowly, but Blake was sure neither of them believed what she said. Yang’s eyes looked so bright as she returned to Blake from the cliffside, but those bright eyes looked at the ground. Blake didn’t hesitate. She reached a hand out to take Yang’s in her own. Yang looked back up, surprised, as Blake gave that hand a reassuring squeeze.

Even after she let go, a sense of connection between them remained. Blake wondered if this was something that all partners experienced. She almost hoped it wasn’t. It felt so intimate, so sacred.

“I think it’s going to get dark sooner than I thought, so we should probably get back. We gotta be ready for class tomorrow!” Yang’s grin looked as relaxed as ever, and for a moment, Blake wondered if she had dreamed that moment. But the way Yang’s eyes searched her own, she knew that she hadn’t.

“Then let’s head back,” Blake agreed. She smiled.

Though the walk back was long and silent, it wasn’t as awkward as it had been. Whatever had passed between them also seemed to clear the air. Now there was trust.

Beautiful, beautiful trust.


	2. After

Winter and Ironwood had managed to put together a spacious apartment for the group, but even a large apartment wasn’t big enough for ten people. Jaune, Nora, and Ren shared the master bedroom, Maria took a smaller bed, and Qrow and Oscar each took a couch. The remaining two beds were split by Team RWBY.

Blake and Yang hadn’t even needed to announce that they would share a bed. Ruby had given them a big smirk and informed them that she and Weiss would take one of the beds. Even Weiss had smiled knowingly. It made Blake blush, but Yang’s hand rested on the small of her back. That was all the reassurance Blake needed. 

Ironwood wasn’t actually able to see them until the next afternoon. After he spoke with Qrow and learned that Ozpin had been reincarnated, the General was hurrying back from the other side of Solitas. Weiss, though happy to see her sister, had been a nervous wreck since landing. 

“You don’t know how powerful my father is,” she kept repeating. “If he knew I was here, he could hire someone to drag me back home.”

When Winter heard this, she gripped Weiss’ shoulder protectively and forced their eyes to meet. “You listen to me. You’re of age now. Keeping you falsely imprisoned was a crime. General Ironwood has no tolerance for that behavior. He will not take you.”

Despite Winter’s promise, Weiss didn’t leave the apartment. Blake, too, had no desire to wander the glimmering, sleepless streets of Atlas. She just wanted to lay in bed and try not to relive the afternoon’s fight for the hundredth time. 

“What the hell is that?” she heard Qrow demand from the living room.

“Now that we’re back within range of the CCT, I’m going to catch up on my soaps!” Maria seemed to be the only person who was truly happy to be in Atlas. Blake’s acute hearing picked up the sound of something crunching. Cashews again? It must be nice to enjoy contraband in the safety of military-sponsored housing, she thought wryly.

“Hey, don’t get those in the cushions! I’m sleeping here tonight. Is this show going to be long? This has been one _long_ day.”

“Take it easy. It’s only twenty more minutes.”

Weiss and Blake looked at each other as they heard long, high-pitched sobs coming from the television screen. They burst out laughing.

The others came back with take-out shortly thereafter. They were all fighting sleep as they ate, so the conversation was minimal. Blake made sure to sit close to Yang. She hadn’t realized she was so cold until Yang’s warmth engulfed her. Yang’s human arm slipped around her waist and Blake found herself leaning into her.

She caught the look Weiss and Ruby exchanged, and apparently, so did Yang. She blew a loud raspberry at her little sister.

Blake was the first one to call it a night (or, to be technical, a morning). The others were arguing about what Ironwood might do or say, but Blake’s brain was just overwhelmed from the day’s events. She wanted to remain awake long enough to wait for Yang, but when your eyelids are that heavy, it’s hard to defy sleep for long.

A couple hours later, she was somewhat surprised and hurt that her bed wasn’t full of Yang’s heat. She looked around, confused, but her gaze softened at the bed across from her own. Weiss was sleeping fitfully, but Ruby was clutching her tightly. Ruby opened one silver eye, which met Blake’s. “She’s so worried about her father,” she whispered. “She wouldn’t stop tossing and turning.”

“Are _you_ going to be able to sleep?”

Ruby gave her a weak smile. “She’s calmed down a lot. I bet I’ll be asleep soon.”

“You’re a good friend, Ruby.” Blake hesitated, then ruffled Ruby’s hair. The noise Ruby made was soft, so as not to wake Weiss, but adorable. “Have you seen Yang?”

“She said she couldn’t sleep. I’m sure she’s around somewhere.”

“Thanks. Try to get some sleep.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Ruby yawned, then closed her eye again.

Blake checked the room next door. The remainder of Team JNPR was sleeping quite soundly. In the last bedroom, Maria looked so peaceful that Blake worried for a moment that she’d died. To her relief, though, Maria gave a snort and turned over.

Where _was_ Yang?

The only people in the living room was Qrow and Oscar. Though his eyes were closed, Qrow’s regular tossing and turning indicated that he wasn’t really asleep. He was holding firm to his conviction to stop drinking, which probably wasn’t helping him get to sleep. She was proud for him, but felt so bad that he was denying himself the one comfort he’d known. She wouldn’t disturb him. With any luck, he’d fall asleep soon. Oscar didn’t seem to be faring any better. He was grimacing and made the occasional incoherent mumble.

As she walked away from them, a sad little knot formed in her stomach. The events of the day before were encasing her like a shroud. Adam had found her. She had fought him. She and Yang…

There she was.

When Blake stepped onto the balcony, she realized that wash of memories had covered her in thin layer of perspiration. The sweat and the cold night air made her shiver. “What are you doing out here?” she asked.

Yang turned around, her blonde eyebrows raised in surprise. For a moment, Blake felt a strange thrum in her heart. _Connection_. Every part of her body seemed to buzz with electricity. How was it that Yang was capable of doing something like this to her? 

The two women stared at each other. The way Yang’s mouth hung open made Blake believe that she, too, sensed this. The way Yang’s hair caught the stars and the city lights made Blake’s knees weak. She was so incredibly beautiful.

“I thought you were sleeping,” Yang finally gasped.

“I was. I got lonely.”

Blake crossed the threshold, not wanting to be out of her reach for a moment longer. She placed a shaking hand on Yang’s waist. Yang’s hand covered it.

“Sometimes, when I look at you… it’s like a magnet. I can’t keep my eyes away,” Yang told her slowly. “It’s crazy, but it’s happened more than once.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Blake replied, wishing her relief wasn’t so obvious. “I’ve felt it, too. It’s like… being struck by lightning.”

“Or like your heart stopped beating, and you’re just… frozen in time.”

Yang then laughed, somewhat nervously. Her robotic hand crept into Blake’s hair. Blake closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation. It was nothing like the way Adam used to do it. Yang was gentle, tentative. Blake tilted her head into her hand. Not like Adam at all.

“So why are you out here? We really should be getting some sleep,” she told Yang. She could see the dark shadows under her partner’s eyes. Yang shook her head.

“Have you ever been so exhausted that you can’t sleep?”

Despite herself, Blake smiled. “I may be familiar with that feeling. I felt that way back at Beacon. In our second semester. Do you remember that?”

“Of course. I finally got you seeing sense in the end.” A fond look passed over Yang’s face, erasing her cares for just a moment. Blake ached for that lighthearted Yang, but she knew better than to expect much of that today, if ever again. “Maybe I’m the one who needs to see sense now.”

Yang’s mechanical hand knotted in Blake’s hair. Though it didn’t hurt, it did pull. Before she knew what she was doing, she stepped even closer to Yang. Her body pressed lightly against her own. They simply looked into each other’s eyes.

Yang loosened her fingers from Blake’s dark tresses and settled on her waist. Despite herself, Blake winced. She didn’t wonder if Yang’s robotic arm could feel the bumps of those ugly scars. She’d noticed Yang looking at them earlier that day. There had been too many other pressing matters at the time to talk to Yang about it, though. She’d rather hoped she wouldn’t have to.

“I hadn't forgotten what he did to you that night.” Yang's voice was soft and… apologetic? “Everything that happened was like… imprinted into my brain.” She shook her head, harder than seemed necessary. “For months, I replayed it over and over in my head.”

“Yang,” Blake murmured. “I don't think there was anything either of us could have done.”

“I know.” Yang's metal fingers traced the bumpy lines of the twin scars again, making Blake shiver. “I've come to terms with that now. It doesn't mean I have to like it.”

“And now I've got an ugly scar to make sure I remember those good times.” Blake gave a half-hearted laugh. 

Yang did not join the laughter. “Nothing about you could ever be ugly,” she told Blake, her voice softer than ever, but firm. Blake's cheeks felt hot. “Scars… or even amputations, I guess, don't change someone's beauty. You don't need to like the scar, or how you got it. It’s there to show you've been through something. That you _survived_ something. It's taught you something, or even changed who you are. It's only a reminder that you've grown from the person with smooth skin-- or two arms, even-- into someone tougher. That, Blake, isn't ugly at all.”

“You're right.” Blake's agreement was quicker and smoother than even she had expected. Yang gave her a crooked smile. “It goes for you, too. Even with one arm, you're still as beautiful as ever.”

She knew her cheeks were on fire. Was this what it was like to burn as Yang did? But she didn't regret her words.

Yang slid one arm around Blake's back to pull her closer. They were snug into each other's bodies, and all Blake knew to do with her own arms was wrap them around Yang's waist. She was so warm, and soft in all the right places. She couldn’t see Yang’s face from this vantage point; she could only look over her shoulder into the starry sky. In the pre-dawn, the sky was more purple than black. Closer to morning, there might be some whisps the color of Yang’s eyes.

After a moment’s hesitation, Blake moved one hand to the back of Yang’s head. Her hair was silkier than she could have ever dreamed. Yang was so protective of her hair, so being able to touch it was such an intimate privilege. The way Yang relaxed in her arms was further proof that Blake’s touch was welcome. She could have stroked Yang’s hair forever.

But it wasn’t forever.

Yang drew back just enough to meet Blake’s eyes. She saw exhaustion there, but she also saw peace. She saw affection. She saw love.

“I’m not going to push you to do anything you don’t want to do,” Yang said at last. She gave Blake a nervous smile. “I saw what he was like, and I want you to know that I’m not--”

Her thought remained unfinished as Blake pressed her mouth against Yang’s. The look on her face had been too much for Blake to resist any longer. The surge of love in her heart for this woman had the force of a tidal wave.

Yang returned the contact eagerly. Blake felt the heaving of her chest, Yang’s breasts pressing into Blake like a pulse. For the first time, she could almost understand that weird feeling that sometimes came over her when she looked at Yang. The sensation that all of time and space had stopped around her and she was inside a little bubble, alone with Yang. Was this what love was supposed to feel like?

They broke apart for a minute to catch their breath. Blake clutched Yang, as if afraid she’d disappear if she let go. Yang didn’t lighten her grip, either. Her eyes searched Blake’s, and Blake was amused to see the faint flush in her cheeks. She took a few deep breaths, then said, “Don’t stop now, Blake.”

Their second kiss was more gentle. Blake was more aware than ever of every sense. The sounds of the city around them, Yang’s unique fragrance of smoke and flowers, the softness of her lips, her intense heat. They sank into each other.

If this was where the world ended, Blake would be happy knowing she would be in Yang’s arms.

When they pulled away a second time, Yang rested her head on Blake’s shoulder. Blake didn’t hesitate this time to bury a hand in Yang’s thick golden hair. Unconsciously, she began to rock her from side to side. In response, Yang nuzzled her face into Blake’s neck. Goosebumps raced over her bare arms.

The silence that passed between them was more natural than any further words could have been. She wanted to memorize the feeling of Yang’s waist beneath her arm and the sensation of her soft hair between her fingers. She didn’t want to let go. Letting go would be just as bad as leaving her again.

“We should probably go to bed,” Yang told her at last. Her breath was warm as she spoke. “Tomorrow is going to be one long day. Today was insane, too.”

“Right.” Reluctantly, Blake pulled her arms back from around Yang. Their eyes locked as they drew back, but Yang didn’t remove her hand from where it pressed against Blake’s waist. As they went inside, Yang shifted her arm to wrap it around Blake. It was all she could do to not sink too far against her partner.

As Yang slid the door shut, one of Blake’s cat ears twitched. She glanced over at Qrow, who still lay with his eyes shut. But he was much too still. Had he seen what they were doing? The idea made her face turn red, which she was grateful Yang couldn’t see from her angle.

It looked like Oscar, at least, was fully asleep. Blake was glad to see that he was looking much more peaceful. In their bedroom, Ruby had found sleep, as well. Weiss was finally relaxed, her head lolling against Ruby’s chest as they clung to each other. Yang’s “Aww!” was just loud enough for Blake to hear. “Should I take a picture of this? This is the most adorable I’ve ever seen Weiss.”

“You should have seen how badly she was sleeping. Being in Atlas has really been messing with her nerves.”

“So give her a pass for once?”

“Just this once.”

They stared fondly at the pair for a moment longer. Ruby’s effect on the former Ice Queen was nothing short of miraculous. Blake would never have put money on them ever becoming as close as they are now. 

Had she ever thought she and Yang would be this close?

They didn’t hold back when they climbed into bed, entwining their legs and wrapping their arms around each other. She wanted to envelope herself in Yang’s warmth as much as she could, and Yang seemed to want the same from her. She breathed a contented sigh as she rested her head against Yang’s breast. She’d never imagined how soft it might feel. Yang wrapped her mechanical arm around Blake’s shoulders and pulled the blanket around them.

Relationships aren’t meant to be one-sided. It had taken Blake years to learn that. But now, as they exchanged a brief kiss good-night, she couldn’t imagine a relationship being anything other than equal.

Or with anyone other than Yang.

**Author's Note:**

> "After" will be posted soon. Stay tuned!


End file.
